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South Ossetia Accused of Kidnapping
Tensions continue to rise in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone. Yesterday the South Ossetian Interior Ministry released three Georgian citizens accused of smuggling drugs and weapons. Tbilisi called the actions of the Ossetian police “Kidnapping for the purpose of ransoming” and demanded that Tskhinvali release one more Georgian, threatening an “adequate response” otherwise. South Ossetians do not intend to do so, however, since that Georgian is accused of terrorism.
On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Georgian Interior Ministry demanded three South Ossetian police officers in exchange for the three Georgians in custody in South Ossetia “on charges of illegal deprival of freedom.” According to Georgia, “four Georgian citizens were simply going to Georgian villages in Liakhvi Gorge by the short route through Tskhinvali. There they were put in a car, taken to the police and charges with narcotics possession.”
South Ossetian Foreign Minister Mikhail Mindzaev told Kommersant, “We conducted a raid and took 18 people into custody, 12 of whom were Ossetians. We took in two Georgians for drug smuggling and one for having a grenade. The same day, we arrested one more Georgian who wanted to blow up a grenade in Tskhinvali.” He also pointed out that there are about 90 Ossetians in Georgian custody on various charges.
Georgian citizens Koba Barbakadze, Zviad Tsutskiridze and Ivan Zedgenidze were handed over to Russian peacekeepers, who escorted them to the Georgian side. “First they didn't tell us anything, then they said that we were being held for narcotics. We asked where the narcotics were. They stopped talking and just let us go,” one of them recounted.
The unsuccessful terrorist, Rost Nozadze, was not released. South Ossetian authorities say he will go on trial. A session of the mixed control commission is due to meet today, but Georgian authorities have stated that they will not speak to South Ossetian authorities until South Ossetia restores the water supply to central Georgia.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of June 07, 2007
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